The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-08-13
WEARING OUT THE CAR
 PET.

WEARING OUT THE CAR
 PET.
 Among the guests at a small sum- mer hotel were a little boy and his mother. The boys fullness of life and richness of prankish resource kept the timid, shrinking mother in con- stant state of alarm and the servants noticing that she was afraid that her son might give offense, took pains to in- crease her anxiety by telling the child, in those soft but forced tones of kind ness which burn worse than harshness, not to make so much noise and not to scatter bread crumbs on the steps. The proprietor's wife, an old woman whom every one said was motherly, unconsciously took cue from the ser- wants and, forgetting that her own sons and daughters were once noisy children, began to oppress the boy. 'Sh-sh-don't make a fuss" she said, meeting him in the hall "Little boys must be seen and not heard. Go and put that ball away. You might break something. Never mind that cat. Get out of my way. I wonder what your mother can be thinking about"
 "Tommie," his mother called from neighboring room.
 "Mam.o
 ''Come here."
 'I ain't doin' nothin'."
 "Oh, let him alone, I pray you," said the proprietor's wife, inclining her head and smiling at the mother, who had appeared in the doorway. Il was simply afraid that he might break something with his ball, but do let him enjoy himself, I beseech you. Children will Dc children, you know" "I do hope he won't cause you any trouble" the mother replied. "I do the very best I can with him, but -I-I-come here, son."
 She reached out, took the boy by the hand and drew him into the room.
 "What makes you cry, mammal"
 "Because you arc so bad, darling" she replied, taking him into her arms. q didn't know l was bad"
 "But you are. You seem to make every body miserable"
 "What's miserable?"
 "Unhappy."
 "What's unhappy?"
 "GO, sit down over there."
 He climbed up on trunk, twisted himself around, tore his clothes, got down, killed fly on the window pane, picked up feather which he found in a corner, threw it up and blew his breath upon it, turned over work basket, climbed upon tine bed where his mother had lain down, put his hands on her face, gazed with mis- chievous tenderness into her eyes, and said
 "I love you"
 She clasped him to her bosom. "You'll be good boy, won't you?"
 "Yessum, am when that nigger makes face at me, won't say any thing"
 "Well, you must not"
 "An' mustn't grab holt of the calf's tail when he shoves it through the fence?"
 "No."
 "Why?"
 "Oh, because it will hurt him. Let mamma go to sleep now, but don't you go out"
 ''Nome."
 The woman sank to sleep. The boy got off the bed and went to the win dow. He looked up at fly that was bnxzing at the top, went back to the bed, gently kissed his mother and stole out into the hall. Exuberant with freedom, he began to gallop in imitation of a horse.
 "Sh-sh p
 He was confronted by the proprie- tors wife. "What are you racing around here like 8 mule for, say? Don't you know you are wearing out the carpet? Why don't you go some- where and sit down and behave like a human being? Think I bought this carpet to have it skuffed out this way? Stop raking your foot on the floor that way"
 He held up his hands as if, in beg ging for forgiveness, he would kiss her. Don't put your greasy hands on me. Go on, now, and don't rake your feet on this carpet. I don't know what mothers these days can be think ing about"
 ssTommie," his mother. called.
 "Yessum."
 "Come here"
 "Oh, don't know what to do with you," she said when she had drawn him into the room. "What makes you % had2s mmfye4 s ss